Jeff Dale &
the Blue Wave Band
INVITE-ONLY PAGE FOR PRESS AND RADIO
This page contains album and single artwork, WAV and MP3 audio files, credits, notes, press releases, reviews,
and more for the EP “What It Is”. If you have any questions or would like to contact Jeff, please email jeff@jeffdaleblues.com
RELEASE DATE: 8/8/2025
TRACK LISTING
Heat Seeking Missile
Doggie Bag Love
What It Is
That’s What She Said
I Ain’t Mad
All songs written by Jeff Dale,
published by R.B.I. Media Music (BMI)
Jeff Dale: Guitar and Vocals
Phil Munsey: Drums and Backing Vocals
Steve Primo: Tenor Sax, Backing Vocals (Lead Vocals on What It Is)
Lightnin’ Dan Sonenfeld: Guitar
Granville “Little Danny” Young: Bass
Pete Zifchak: Alto Sax and Backing Vocals
Produced by Sam “Bones” Ramos, Jeff Dale
and The Blue Wave Band
Remixed by: Rich Hyland
Mastered by: David Donnelly at DNA Mastering
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
info@jeffdaleblues.com
Original tapes of Jeff Dale & The Blue Wave Band album, What It Is, recorded in 1985 and thought to be lost to history have resurfaced. After being digitized and remastered in a feat of engineering, the result is a dynamic modern blues album with a mix that removes the 80s’ heavy effects previously saturating the recordings from 40 years ago.
“I always regretted that I never got the chance to remix this album to remove all the dated sounding 1980s effects that were added” says Dale. “When Pete Zifchak, one of the band’s sax players, discovered he was in possession of the original multi track tapes, I leapt at the opportunity that it presented to hear this music sound vibrant and alive.”
Jeff Dale formed the Blue Wave Band in the late 1970’s with his guitar slingin’ longtime pal from Chicago’s south side, Lightnin’ Dan Sonenfeld. By the mid 1980’s, Jeff and the Blue Wave Band had logged thousands of hours performing all over Los Angeles County. In 1985 the band which included Phil Munsey on drums, Granville “Little Danny” Young on bass and saxophonist’s Pete Zifchak and Steve Primo, recorded a “mini” LP entitled What It Is.
Produced by Sam “Bones” Ramos, the album was recorded at Capitol Record’s storied Studio B, with overdubs done at the Hit Factory in Hollywood. All five songs were Jeff Dale originals sung by Jeff with the exception of the title track, sung by bandmate Steve Primo.
The band decided to release the record independently, no small feat before the internet streaming services. They spent months promoting it, which paid off when Cashbox Magazine designated the album a “Feature Pick.” This prompted national airplay on not only blues music programs, but it was added on huge rock stations such as KROQ in Los Angeles. Great reviews poured in from publications such as The Daily Californian, BAM Magazine, and even Feelin’ Good Magazine from Italy. A listener’s poll at radio station WNOP in Cincinnati voted Jeff and the Blue Wave Band “Best New Blues Band Of The Year”
With the aid of mixing engineer extraordinaire Rich Hyland and Grammy Award winning mastering engineer Dave Donnelly, the 2025 What It Is now sounds like a contemporary and relevant celebration of the blues. “These recordings represent a time in my career when I was slogging it out night after night, year after year with a fantastic group of guys who are still my friends to this day” says Dale. “Our original producer Bones Ramos passed away much too young over 20 years ago and we just lost our bassist Danny Young a few months ago. A reminder that there’s no time like right now to celebrate friends and our shared history.”
Jeff Dale continues to write, record and perform his blues. The What It Is mini-LP was just the beginning of his music being presented to the world. This quote from Option Magazine 40 years ago sums it up: “Jeff Dale & The Blue Wave Band is cool. They're veterans who play a fun brand of blues based in the Chicago style but modernized with thought and talent.”
REVIEWS FROM 1985 / 1986
“Feature Picks: Gritty, urban blues from this mainstay of a once flourishing L.A. blues scene.”
“This is one of the few blues groups to emerge from the Los Angeles area clubs in the early 80s. Of course, they have no shortage of local experiences with internationally renowned artists such as Etta James, Margie Evans, Lowell Fulson and the great Pee Wee Crayton.
Until 1984, Blue Wave featured the guitars of the leaders, Jeff Dale and Dan Sonenfeld plus bass and drums, and with the addition of two saxophones the lineup incorporated R&B and funky melodies, underlining a transition in the band’s career towards a modern, danceable blues. This debut mini LP contains five songs: from the funky “Heat Seeking Missile” and “Doggie Bag Love” we move on to the slow and solid “I Ain’t Mad”, the real gem of this production. A good soundtrack for your parties. ”
“All five of these funky R&B flavored tracks smoke!”
“Jeff Dale & The Blue Wave Band is cool. They’re veterans who play a fun brand of blues based in the Chicago style but modernized with thought and talent.”
“Jeff Dale and the Blue Wave Band have been plugging’ away at the LA club scene for years and have finally gotten down on wax. This five song EP documents their uptown blues approach and the band gets cooking nicely. File under party favor.”
